PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A federal judge on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to fully fund November’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits after weeks of uncertainty during the ongoing government shutdown.
U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ruled that the administration must use both contingency reserves and child nutrition funds to deliver complete benefits to states by Friday. The decision followed a lawsuit filed by the advocacy group Democracy Forward, which accused the U.S. Department of Agriculture of unlawfully withholding aid.
The USDA had planned to cover only 65% of benefits, leaving millions of households facing cuts of more than one-third. “The evidence shows that people will go hungry, food pantries will be overburdened and needless suffering will occur,” McConnell said.
The lapse in SNAP assistance, the first in U.S. history, left food banks overwhelmed as nearly 42 million Americans—mostly families with children, seniors, and people with disabilities—awaited benefits. The administration argued that delays stemmed from state distribution systems, not federal inaction.
McConnell’s order requires immediate payment in full, while the broader political fight over the 37-day shutdown continues in Washington.
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